We’ve had a lovely cozy Saturday morning indoors, sipping hot coffee and dining on toasted ham, cheese, and tomato sandwiches made with our very own smoked ham. Then I was off to the kitchen to peel and core a mound of apples to make a rather scrumptious apple crisp for friends arriving tomorrow. It smells marvelous cooling on the counter.

It is wildly windy today, sending my drying bundles of herbs dancing like marionettes on the back veranda. I’ve been rescuing them from the gale and stripping them down, storing the crispy leaves in big glass jars to keep them safe from dust and scavenging mice. They look so beautiful lined up on the kitchen shelves and in the pantry, and it feels so good to have them harvested and ready for use.

Several months ago a company from Brisbane contacted me and asked if I’d consider developing a line of herbal teas using the things I grow on our farm. I was thrilled to pieces and so delighted at the prospect. We met and nutted out the details and since then I’ve been working hard to build the framework I need for such an endeavor.

I’ve been digging gardens and bordering them with the massive rocks I heaved out with a crowbar. I traded weeding for mulch with a local farmer, and started planting cuttings, seeds, and seedlings to get ready for a big harvest in the months to come.

As each herb, flower, or fruit is ready, I harvest it and put it out to dry, then store it away in the pantry.

It’s been a massive amount of work, but so much fun. I love being out in the sun and wind, figuring out how to make the most of the space I have, learning what grows best in our soil, dividing plants to make dozens out of a few, and taste-testing. So much taste-testing.

These days our little house is full of the scents of new concoctions: elderberry and hawthorn, pineapple sage, apple and mint, fig and coconut, pear and brambleberry, the list goes on and on.

I’m nearly done all the planting, so now I’m focused on the design side of things, making my own labels, choosing packaging, calculating shipping costs, meeting with the managers of local markets to see which ones would be the best fit.

I’m loving every minute of this process, and cannot wait to share the finished products with you when they’re ready.

If you’d like to hear more about this new venture and be the first ones to hear when these lovely teas (and other goodies!) are ready to meet the world, please click here to sign up for my newsletter.

Now I must get back to work. My new seeds arrived yesterday, and it’s time to get those beauties in the ground. 🙂

What is your favorite herbal tea? xo